Template-Monomer Interaction in Molecular Imprinting: Is the Strongest the Best?

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) represent a new class of materials possessing high selectivity and affinity for the target molecule. They have been utilized as sensors, catalysts, sorbents for solid-phase extraction, stationary phase for liquid chromatography, mimics of enzymes, receptors, and antibodies. In this research, molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) for luteolin were prepared using acrylamide, 4-vinylpyridine and 1-allyl-piperazine as functional monomers and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker by non-covalent imprinting method. UV-visible spectra were used to evaluate the interaction strength between the template and the monomers. The composites of the polymers were calculated from elementary analysis. The porous properties of the imprinted polymers have been determined from nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The imprinting efficiency of the prepared MIPs was evaluated by selective adsorption for luteolin and its structural analogues. Although the interaction strength of monomers to the template was in the order 1-ALPP > 4-VP > AA, the binding affinity of the imprinted polymers towards luteolin was in the order MIP 2 > MIP 3 > MIP 1. Our results demonstrated that the imprinting efficiency was depending not only on the interaction strength between the template and the monomer, but also on the fidelity in transferring the complex into the polymer.